Nine years. I taught myself to play the guitar in 2011, and I've written most of my 300 songs since then. All that came after I'd worked for 20 years as a deejay at major radio stations in Nashville, Orlando and Tampa--where I learned what makes a song great.

What was the first concert you ever went to?

The first concert I ever attended starred The Beatles at the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan. It was 1964-66 sometime, although I can't recall the exact date. I went as a guest of my older cousin, a Detroit dentist, with a couple of his kids and two other younger cousins of mine. We didn't have front-row seats, but it was still very memorable...because it was THE BEATLES!

I was always into all kinds of pop, rock and r&b, with some country pop, country rock, pure country, and adult contemporary also in the mix, and I like music with humorous overtones (regardless of the genre). Without any doubt, the songwriters who influenced me the most when I was younger were Bob Dylan and The Beatles, particularly John and George.

Are you in a band? Have you been in bands?

No. I've never been in a band, but for my upcoming album I will be assembling my own band with some of the best players in Florida.

What's the biggest audience you ever performed to? What's the smallest?